From: G.P. (gdotpdot@usa.net)
Date: Mon Jan 07 2002 - 23:32:14 MST
I have read this paper a few weeks ago, after having found it as a
result of Web searches with keywords like transhumanism and politics.
I found it quite interesting at the time, in particular because it
pointed to the fact that 100% libertarian, anarcho-capitalist
positions are not the only ones compatible with core transhumanist
values.
Now I see that most of the comments that the announcement of the paper
has received on the list are very negative. I think that if the paper
contains wrong facts, of course these should be corrected. I also
agree that the paper, as the author implicitly admits, is not
"objective" but politically biased. The sentence "The essay also
discusses the emergence of neo-Nazi and radical democratic
transhumanism" is factually true: the paper does discuss it. At the
same time I agree that the word "neo-Nazi" in the abstract of a paper
meant to give a political overview of the transhumanist movement is
dangerous, I think it should be removed. Perhaps the text quoted above
might be changed to "The essay also discusses the emergence of a wider
range of political positions associated with transhumanism, including
conventional right and left ideologies".
So I believe the some parts of the paper should be modified if its aim
is to give an objective bird view of all political beliefs held by
persons who call themselves transhumanist. At the same time I think
this paper, though maybe slanted, is interesting and has a useful
function: to remind that
>transhumanism, i.e. the idea that human beings should be able to improve
>themselves radically through technology, does not have much intrinsic
>political content
and thus can be accepted by persons holding a wider range of political
opinions than previously thought.
On Sun, 6 Jan 2002 16:36:10 -0500, "J. Hughes"
<jhughes@changesurfer.com> wrote:
>
>Given the recent discussions of politics on this list, especially of
>extropianism as libertarian transhumanism, I invite list members to read my
>recent essay on "The Politics of Transhumanism." Thanks to comments from
>Natasha and Max I've cleaned up a couple of factual errors. I would
>appreciate your comments as well as I'm preparing it for submission for
>publication.
>
>http://www.changesurfer.com/Acad/TranshumPolitics.htm
--- G.P. gdotpdot@usa.net PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL
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